


Letters to Caitlin

by Anonymoose12



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Breaking Free, Family, Flying, Gen, Hints at past abuse/neglect, Letters, Martin has daddy issues, Martin was sad but now he's not, Mr Crieff was a douche
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 17:50:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2279037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymoose12/pseuds/Anonymoose12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Martin sends letters to his sister</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters to Caitlin

Dear Caitlin,

How are you? Give your kids a hug from Uncle Martin for me! I'm going well- I finally got a job! It's with the small charter firm MJN (My Jet Now). The owner- Carolyn- is very scary, but she gave me the job, so I guess she can't be too bad! I'm yet to meet the steward, Arthur, and the first officer Douglas. I'm captain! My first proper job as a pilot and I'm captain! Carolyn was very vague as to why I would be captain, instead of Douglas- I got the sense it was a personal reason. Hardly professional, I know, but I'm not complaining. I haven't told mum yet. I don't really know how she'll react. She'll congratulate me, but you know how she always went along with Dad. What do you think Dad would say? He probably would't be happy. Or do you think he would be? Would he pat me on the back and say 'good work son' now that I've proven him wrong? Or would he just shake his head and tell me that it would have been easier if I had just followed in his footsteps and become an electrician? Oh well. He's dead now so it doesn't matter what he would think. I know that sounds harsh but that's what he always was to me: harsh, making me feel like I wasn't good enough to be part of his family.

I'm sorry- this was supposed to be a happy letter, but that last bit turned a bit angry and angsty. But yeah, anyway- I'm captain! Captain! I get to be in control of a flying plane! Remember when I was six, and I jumped off the garage roof because I wanted to be a plane? You and Simon laughed at me and told me that people can't be planes. I was crushed- but being a pilot is pretty close to being a plane! I still get to fly far up, away from the earth.

Love you,  
Martin.

 

Dear Caitlin,

Thank you for your letter- what you said about Dad meant a lot. Tell Charlie that if he likes I'd love to take him flying one day! That is, if I'm allowed to. I've been working for a month now, and the crew is terrifying. Carolyn is an absolute dragon- she completely bulldozes anyone who dares cross her, and all she seems to care about is saving the firm money (even at the sake of correct protocol and safety). Douglas, the first officer, is a grumpy old man who never does anything that doesn't benefit him. He's unbearably snarky and loves to tease me. It's awful. Arthur is… Arthur's… um.. he's weird? He acts like he's six even though he's twenty-seven. He's super enthusiastic and calls everything brilliant, but completely hopeless at doing anything. I'm going mad. I really should quit. My professional standards are compromised: during our last flight Douglas didn't want to divert to Bristol so he suggested we light a match, say we smell smoke, get priority landing, and then 'chalk it up to one of life's little mysteries'! And this was after Arthur claimed that we didn't need to divert, because 'there's always a little fuel left in the tank when the gauge shows empty'! And then Carolyn yelled at me for wasting her money! I told her I was maintaining professional standards but she said 'professionals don't go to Bristol'. As if that's any kind of excuse. And that's only the start of it. It gets so much worse.

But I'm not going to quit. Because that would a) prove Dad right, and b) stop me from flying. And I really really really don't want to stop flying. Even when I'm stuck in a slowly-breaking down old plane with a crew who don't even act like the bad crew in the training manuals, flying is still the ultimate pleasure. Soaring above the clouds, watching the cities below shrink into little squares of green pastures and brown roofs, and then give away to the vast unending blue of the ocean; everything is more manageable up there. Well, except maybe the crew, but that's different. It doesn't matter that I failed my CPL seven times, or that I've never had a girlfriend, or that mum thinks Simon's job is more important than mine. It just doesn't matter anymore when I'm flying.

Love your brother,  
Martin

 

Dear Caitlin,

It was great to see you, even if it was because of of mum's sickness. Hopefully she won't pull the 'I didn't want to worry anyone' card again- she'd better call Simon straight away. What did you think of my crew members? I know they came across as a bit odd, but they're lovely, really. They were doing it for me- they know I'm insecure around Simon, so they were trying to show him that I'm good at what I do too. Did they take it too far? Oh god- they took it too far didn't they. I should have known that would happen- whenever I ask them for help it ends up going over the top. But they meant well. They usually do. I know I complain and I used to hate them, I really did. But I've grown used to it I guess. Douglas's teasing seems more friendly now, and Carolyn sometimes gives me advice (yesterday she was yelling at me for not applying for a job with a better firm!), and Arthur is, well, still Arthur. He hasn't got an unpleasant bone in his body.  
Like I mentioned, Carolyn suggested I apply for a job with a better firm. So I did, and I got it. Swiss Air has offered me a position- it'd be better paid, even if it is first officer, and I'd be closer to Theresa (I must introduce you two sometime- she's lovely). But I haven't told the MJN people yet. And I find I don't want to. It's- well, it's odd really. I wanted to quit when I started, but now I can't bear the thought of leaving. It's like a family in a way. An odd, quirky family that makes no sense at all, but somehow I don't mind. I've gotten better with them- I'm more confident, and I can laugh about the stupidest things. It's ridiculous but I always end up having fun. I get a supportive 'family', and I get the freedom of flying.

Ahem. That's enough emotion for my British sensibilities. What's the weather like there? It's absolutely miserable here- it hasn't stopped raining for days.

Love Martin

**Author's Note:**

> *Sits down to write a practice piece for English. Prompt is 'breaking free'. Slips and writes fanfic.*
> 
> I apologise for the gratuitous and slightly aggressive 'I'm free as a bird now. Look at how happy I am. FREEDOM IN FLYING. I. HAVE. BROKEN. FREE. ' tone. My only excuse is that is what high school English is: overt and obvious


End file.
